ALBANY — Republicans and Democrats in the State Senate continued their verbal wars Thursday, even while meeting behind closed doors to seek some sort of power-sharing agreement. In the end, they again came up short.

But the governor’s office claimed the two sides reached one bipartisan agreement: that they can all get paid next week even if they disagree over which side runs the chamber.

Republicans denied it, and Democrats were keeping mum.

With a new legal fight by Democrats under way, the Republicans — and their lone dissident Democratic supporter — entered the Senate chamber for another session that could not be called to order because of the lack of a quorum.

Still, it didn’t keep Republicans from bashing the Democratic no-shows, who, still in control of some internal workings of the chamber, made sure to keep the session from being broadcast on the Internet or cable television.

“Is anybody listening?” Sen. Hugh T. Farley, a Schenectady Republican, asked as he looked toward the chamber’s cameras, which were shut off.

A frustrated Gov. David A. Paterson, noting that unemployment in the state reached a 16-year high last month, called on senators to return to work on a number of pressing needs, including ways to help more than 800,000 New Yorkers who have lost their jobs.

The key sticking point remained: Who is in charge? Republicans claim last week’s coup installed Sen. Pedro Espada Jr., a Bronx Democrat, as Senate president, and Sen. Dean G. Skelos, a Rockville Centre Republican, as majority leader. Democrats say Sen. Malcolm A. Smith, a Queens Democrat, retains those titles and that the coup was illegal.

As the lawmakers met, word spread that a Democrat — Sen. Darrell J. Aubertine of Cape Vincent in the Watertown area — would appear on the Senate floor to provide a quorum so that bills could start moving. With the end of session in sight, dozens of key measures are on hold.

Skelos said Aubertine asked him to add several bills to the agenda, including renewal of Power for Jobs, a key energy economic development program used by 570 businesses that will expire June 30.

“I don’t understand why you would ask to have bills put on an agenda and then not show up,” Skelos said of Aubertine. Added Espada: “We all had a very strong feeling that he might” show for session.

But Aubertine was a no-show. Drew Mangionne, an Aubertine spokesman, said the Democrat’s appearance hinged upon a deal for a power-sharing arrangement between Senate Democrats and Republicans. That fell apart again Thursday afternoon.

Republicans turned the heat up on Democrats for not joining them to pass bills. Asked why he did not attend Thursday’s session, Sen. William T. Stachowski, D-Lake View, said, “Because the president of the Senate hasn’t called a session yet.” Stachowski and his 30 Democratic colleagues do not recognize the sessions with Espada as president as legal proceedings.

“We don’t want it to be a circus environment,” he said.